Classic! Hey, what’s the deal with mama giraffes licking and kissing their baby’s faces? Do you think there’s some kinda biological reason behind it? I googled, but to no avail. We seem to have some animal experts on this site–anyone care to spill the beans on giraffes?
Squee! Spotter: Unknown
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first!! idk why they kiss ther faces but i just think of it as somethin they do out of love!!
first comment oh and DAWWWWW
sorry gigi
Can’t you just see this little guy’s thought bubble: “Geez mom, not in front of eveyone else!!” so cute!!!
It looks like they do this to clean the newborns (kissing/licking). If all of the photos are of the very young, that’s why.
I think its to give the baby their scent, to protect them from any other giraffe that may be around
scientific reason? who needs one? just feel the love, people, feel the love
There actually IS a scientific reason why ALL mammal-moms (including us humans) kiss their babies!
When babies are just born they still have some antibodies left in their system from being in utero… but around I think 6-9 months (for humans at least) those antibodies start breaking down. But not to worry!! IgA antibodies from mom are the only kind we produce that actually transfer into and through breast milk for the baby! When mom’s kiss their kids they ingest any bacteria that are lurking on the skin of the baby, and then produce antibodies to that bacteria which then go through the milk and into the baby! It takes a week or so for the turnover, but this way, if any of those bacteria end up infecting the baby, the baby should be A-OK! This is (one reason) why breastfeeding is SO important and why you can now buy formula with antibodies already in it.
Kudos to Rachael from a (way-back-when) La Leche League mom!!!
A lot of the more intelligent mammals simply touch for the sake of touching; it’s an affection and bonding thing just like in humans. Not 100% sure if that’s the case with giraffes, although I suspect it is so.
hehe this picture was taken in my home town at perth zoo in Australia….probably one of those extremely famous pictures around the world
Touch is important for all mammal babies. In addition to what Rachael said about kissing, touch also helps with socializing, especially for more social animals, like dolphins, giraffes, lions, humans and so forth. In addition to helping with socializing, cuddling increases oxytocin flow, and this helps mothers and babies bond, and is a pivotal hormone in love (when mates cuddle, the same thing happens). Having a strong connection and love between mother and baby allows the mother to better protect their offspring, and makes it more likely that the offspring will do as the parent(s) say.
In this case, I think mama is just straightening baby’s wonky horns.
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It reminds me of the way mama big cats (and little ones) rub their faces on their babies, to mingle scents.
This photo was taken at the Perth Zoo and was published in the West Australian Newspaper .. its become an all time classic … its over four years old
How adorable!
Its impossible for me to find giraffes cute after the vlogbrothers posted this video…